Adding a new paint color to your home is an easy and inexpensive way to change the look and ambience of your living area. As cooler weather arrives, warm up your space with this fall’s most popular colors. Whether you favor traditional styling or lean more toward contemporary furnishings, fall’s deeper and bolder paint palette can help set the tone for a warm and seasonal home. And best of all, you don’t have to paint the entire room to get the benefit. You can add paint color as an accent to one wall and completely change the mood of your room.

Want to give your kids free rein to decorate their rooms without the wall looking like something from a swiss cheese factory? Now you can with the creation of a new wall covering that is a magnetic primer, which contains non-toxic iron particles. You’ll need at least two base coats of this special primer under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, including posters. (For best holding power, use broad, flat, or ultra-strong magnets.) Now when your kids change their pictures, either daily or monthly, there won’t be a trail of holes left behind in your newly painted walls. 

Where To Buy:

The sheen or the gloss level of the paint you choose for your room décor has quite an impact on the look of your room. It can be determined according to the function of the room and the aesthetic sense.  There are many different types of paint sheens available to choose from. You should take into consideration how the room will be used when making a decision — especially if the room is to be used primarily by children.  

Paints with flat or matte finish have no shine and thus hide little imperfections in the wall. However, they are not very stain-resistant and can be hard to keep clean. Below is a list of different types of paints that are available.

• Eggshell paints or velvet-finish paints have very slight sheen or gloss level, are soft and impart a warm look to the room and are easier to clean too. They are preferable for most bedroom and living room décor themes.
• Paints with satin or semi-gloss finish can be used to highlight architectural details and focal points of the home and also in kitchens and baths as they are easy to clean.
• Very high gloss or sheen paint are quite reflective and should be normally reserved for doors and trims and to create special effects.

Mother’s Day is coming soon.

Treat your mother to a paint consultation or design plan with Style on a Shoestring! She will be the happiest mother in the world. Everyone could use a little design help here and there. Our team of designers is ready to assist with all design styles. Please contact Style on a Shoestring for more info.

There are so many great muralist and faux finish artists in San Diego. Here are a few that we enjoy. Marcelino is gret at faux finishing any space.

Ryn Smith Studios is another great choice. This artist specializes in Murals and Trompe L’Oeil.

If you would like to find out more about these artists contact us at Style on a Shoestring. We would be more than happy to assist you with designing the perfect mural or faux finish for your home.

The Color Trends for 2008 based off Pittsburg paints. Check out these fantastic color schemes.

Shannon and I recently helped a client choose exterior paints for their home. Their main goal was to achieve some curb appeal for potential renters. We have some great feedback we would like to share.

Before our paint consultation the comments from our clients friends, family and neighbors were:

• “Is (NAME REMOVED) poor, his house is so small and old”, a friend’s son
• “You need to add some color”
• “Those outside colors are horrid”

After our paint consultation, the remarks changed drastically:

• “Darling, darling, darling, darling”
• “Gorgeous”
• “Cute.  Nice old style beach cottage, not many of those left.”, a local architect

Pictures soon to come….

Inspiration can come from anywhere, anyone, or anything. In the design world, my inspiration comes from all varieties, and is always changing. Detailed, intricate and small precious old items can be looked at in the grand scale to be something completely different and contemporary. I get my design ideas just like I do with my painting ideas. If I see something that catches my eye I rip the picture out of the magazine, or take a picture of it in real life. For example something as simple as a King of Hearts playing card could be a very interesting painting to blow up the scale and hang on the wall in a game room.  

 I also take inspiration from the simple things in life, like the changing of the seasons and the colors that are associated with them. The colors you choose in your home can greatly affect the way you live your life. For example, the color red evokes hunger (which is why Ronald MacDonald has chosen this color for advertising). I just think about what my favorite colors are and what makes me happy to give me a starting point for design in my own home. You always want to choose the actual color last to paint on the wall, but it is good to have an idea of what you are interested in.  

Think about what colors were in the home you grew up in and then look around your home at what you have already decorated with. You will be surprised at how similar you have made your home compared to home you grew up in, and it is because you are comfortable with them and it really makes it “feel like home”. There is a great book that I once read that pinpointed this exact study. The book is called, “House as a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home” by Clare Cooper Marcus. 

Inspiration is everywhere and everyone will be inspired by something different than the next. Try and challenge yourself to sit down and write a list of all the things that inspire you and soon you will find that it is not hard at all.

Although paint is often the least expensive way to create a “pulled-together look,” it remains one of the most challenging aspects of design for our clients.  So here are a few tips to make your searching for the perfect colors a bit easier.

First ask yourself how you would like the room to feel.  Do you want it to feel calm or have a big and bold impact?  It is common for people to want to their bedroom to be calming while they would like to make a statement with their entry or living room.  The trick is, how do you combine bold and calming in a color palate that does not feel choppy?

Using unrelated colors in adjoining rooms can make the house feel disjointed, while colors that relate to each other draw the eye from one room to the next and create a pleasing flow.

The trick is to use the same hue and value when choosing your paint colors…for instance if the first color that you are drawn to has a gray undertone than that is the hue that you should continue throughout.  Be careful not to choose too many colors.  Depending on the size of your house, usually three colors are more than enough.

Neutrals can be tricky because they can have green, yellow or pink undertones.  Make sure that you look at your flooring, furniture and fabrics in the room. Try to determine the undertones in the existing neutrals in the room and then choose a paint color with the same undertones…if you need help you can always call in the experts!

Another tip is to paint all the trim and doors the same color throughout the house so that you can create a flow from room to room although the paint color on the walls will be different.

Here are a few popular colors our clients have really enjoyed:  Although these are Dunn Edwards paints we work with and recommend several other brands.

  Dunn Edwards Paints:Some great silver blues:

DEC796- Irogon Blue

DEC794-Salina Springs

DEC798-Taliesin Blue

Great Greens:

DE6262-Glass Tile

DE6263-Pistachio Shell

Mustard yellow anyone??? 

DEC731-Highlight Gold

DEC 732-Aspen Yellow

If you are tired of the color on your walls and need a way to spruce them up, then try adding texture. There are countless ways to add texture and interest to your walls:

Color Washing is a popular technique to create a casual appearance with a very translucent texture.

A Crackle finish is great if you are trying to create an aged or antique look. Try this on the bottom half of a wall with trim separating the top and bottom. It will give it a finished look.

Combing is a fancy way to create the look of silk on your walls. You can create any pattern with this technique such as, stripes, checkers or swirls.

 A Suede finish is very popular these days. It is a great finish to use in a room that you want to feel cozy and comfortable. Try this in a bright color to give a totally different feel than the typical tan color.

If you want to create an intimate atmosphere in your space then Ragging is the perfect option. It gives the feeling on fabric on your walls and goes perfect with candlelight.

If you are more into the natural look then give Sponging a try. You can create patterns that mimic leaves or any other natural material. This technique gives your walls depth with a very interesting texture.

Metallic paint can be beautiful but bold. Choose wisely when using this technique as you do not want to over-do it. This type of paint is best used to spotlight architectural features throughout your home. It can be elegant and classic or when used in a bigger scale can be very contemporary.

Murals can be a very interesting way to make a change in your space. There are endless ideas for murals. Murals are not just for children’s rooms these days. It is very popular to have a mural painted over your bed or in your dining room or entry.

Make sure you test out the technique before you paint a whole wall because it may look different than you imagine it in your head. At Style on a Shoestring we love to give advice to clients about which technique works best in their space. We offer paint consultations to help you make the right decision. We also offer referrals for great mural artists, painters and more if you are interested.